We all know that making school lunches can be a daunting task for moms and dads, working or stay-at-home. It can be easy to fall into a rut of PB&J’s or skip making lunch altogether in favor of school bought lunches. Not to worry, we’re here to help! Tea is partnering with Bentology on a very special giveaway and also showing you ways to shake up your school lunches with some global flair. Check out the lunches we came up with that will add flavor to your kid’s every day lunch. Click on the links to see and download our recipes. Who knows… you might even find yourself making these recipes for your lunch! continue reading →

While traveling through Argentina and Bolivia, you’re sure to see llamas! We found them roaming the Andes Mountains, on far away farms and throughout tiny towns. Llamas are native to South America have been a friend to people since the time of the Incas when they were first used as pack animals, carrying goods and wares over the rough terrain. They have a soft wool coat that keeps them warm throughout the winter which is often used to make soft luxurious sweaters and hats! Llamas are also guardians for sheep and goats, protecting them against many predators. In honor of the many llamas we found along our way, you’ll find several llama inspired pieces this fall – from a photoreal tee to a sweet print for baby, there’s a type of llama for everyone. We’ve rounded up fun facts you might not have known about llamas and don’t miss this fall’s inspired designs!

Whenever we travel to a new destination, we strive to completely immerse ourselves in the local culture as it’s the best way to gain the most authentic and well-rounded experience. We eat where the locals eat, shop where the locals shop and talk to as many people as we can to make real connections. While visiting La Paz, Bolivia, we were immediately drawn to the allure of the mercados (or markets). Early each morning, the streets of La Paz begin to buzz with activity. As the sun rises, women from the indigenous tribes (called cholitas) living in the hills surrounding the town, head towards the city. Dressed in brightly colored traditional clothing, the cholitas set up their shops along the street. They sell everything from produce, handicrafts, souvenirs and meals. We watched as people from different parts of the city came to the town center to shop for their daily meals and household goods. Shopping in La Paz as a tourist can be a hectic experience, but exploring them is a great way to feel like a local. Here is a roundup of the markets we visited and tips on when to go and what to find.

To help everyone at Tea “go there,” we make a yearly contribution to each employee for international travel and exploration. Upon their return, our Tea travelers write a blog post to share their adventures with all of us (and the world). Take it away Abigail!

For our honeymoon my husband and I decided to explore Prague, Budapest & Istanbul. In our limited time there, we only peeled back the uppermost layers of each city. This was especially true the center of the old Ottoman Empire: Istanbul – a city of 14.1 million people and the largest urban metropolis in Europe, the sixth largest city in the world. It straddles the Bosphorus strait between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea in northwestern Turkey (thank you, Wikipedia). continue reading →

Season after season you continue to make our graphic tees a bestseller! We work hard to create tees that mix and match for easy layering, but we also put a lot of time into the creation of the graphics themselves. Behind each graphic there’s a story to tell… continue reading →

While most of our personal photos are snapped on iPhones these days, we never travel abroad without our “big” cameras (a name fondly created by our own children). They help us capture the special details we find along our travels that inspire entire collections. With each SLR camera comes a unique camera strap. Ask our travelers about their camera straps and you’ll hear all types of stories… some were passed down through family members, some were bought during college travels and others were made by hand.

While on our trip through Argentina and Bolivia, we were quick to take note of the embroidery that were carefully stitched through many of the textiles. We came across these embroidered belts knew we had to bring them back to share with the team for inspiration. How do you give life to an old embroidered belt? You give it a new use and turn it into a camera strap!

Follow the instructions below for an easy 4-step DIY camera strap, inspired by the belts we found in Bolivia!

To help everyone at Tea “go there,” we make a yearly contribution to each employee for international travel and exploration. Upon their return, our Tea travelers write a blog post to share their adventures with all of us (and the world)! This post is one we’ve been looking forward to… LaDonna, Tea’s Copy Director, traveled abroad with her little one for the first time and before reading this post we suggest you grab a pen to take notes. You’ll have a trip to Costa Rica planned in no time!

Did you know that all of our designs are created in-house? On any given day, you can wander through Tea’s design department to find designers busy at work; drawing, painting or sketching graphics for upcoming collections. Above, you see one of our textile designers, Katy Tanis, painting wildflowers that became the print on our girl’s Flores Silvestres Graphic Tee.